Well , DON !

  It seems you and I went to the same modeling schools for basic knowledge we needed .Now the subsequent post grad courses we have encountered come from Model Rail-Road and Fine Scale Modeler as a good go to as well .

     I also have a book printed in 1940 that encompasses all forms of modeling .For cars and military vehicles they recommend thin wood of course .then in ships , both plank of frame and bread and butter .Now trains you had embossed brass wood and wire .

Boy has the hobby come a long way ! I would recommend Any book that delves into scratch -building. Sorry about the pause , Life interfered . Now all that said .You and I are part of the " Old " School " . I find model parts in the oddest places as I am sure you do . This is of course called " Found Parts " . Where can they be used ? Just about anywhere they will fit with little to no alteration .They will be recognized as model parts , Not what they were originally ! .

 You and I have a lot to share , Isn't that great  ! Have a great Modeling Day . Tanker - Builder

I think the two modeling genres most open to scratchbuilding are model ships and model railroads.  I believe the MRR folks were the first to pick up weathering in a big way. I learned to weather from articles in Model Railroader!

 I remember in the 1950's all the way to the 1960's scratchbuilding articles in Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman  on HO and O scale steam locomotives was done in monthly segments and if you followed one of these articles you would have a great brass model worthy of running down the layout on anyone's layout,they also had had some great articles on rolling stock as well along with trolley and interurban systems, I left the model railroading years ago the main reason no room for even a small railroad layout but I look through these magazines and am sad that there are no more articles like we had in the good ole days we have lost so much with all this modern technology.   Karl

Hi ;

     I would recommend this .Buy a paper-model of your favorite subject .Tanks for instance .Then use it as a pattern to " Scratch - Build " it in say plastic or metal . If you are a good to fair Draftsman then you can draw it out and then build according to your drawings .Don't forget though .Scratch -Building also can encompass " Found Items ".

    These can be anything from a pill bottle to pens , toothbrushes and on and on . I have used the cheap shavers for columns in a ship cut-away  for ductwork and supports .I have a construction underway that encompasses the use of five plastic cases from safety - goggles . It will be a Sci-Fi colony ship in 1/700 scale for a friend .There used to be books available at the library .Because they were old they don't loan them out anymore .they are for reference only

these books may be of interest:

look at this 'ahem' online book place searching for Military Modelling:

Inc 2 of my old school favourites, how to's with drawings & templates, etc: 

Duncan Howarth Scale Military Conversion 
Modelling Military Vehicles by Bruce Quarrie 

The Osprey Modelling series & anything by Steven J. Zaloga with the word Modelling is good

Aviation:

Basic Aviation Modelling: 1 (Compendium modelling manuals)

Advanced Aviation Modelling Paperback – 25 Jul 2005

Armour:

Armour Modelling (Osprey Masterclass the Essential Guide for the Serious Modeller)

Military Vehicle Modelling Paperback

Building and Detailing Realistic Sherman Tanks (FineScale Modeler Books)

Modelling Armoured Vehicles (Osprey Modelling)

Warning:

Scratch Building is very very addictive, you will never have enough books, & you will never throw anything 'greebly' away in case you can use it for modelling! 

Thanks, Everyone. All great ideas. I will look into them.

If you can find really old modeling mags, say before about 1955, they used to have a lot more articles on scratchbuilding than they do today.  Used to be almost every issue contained at least one article on a scratch project, with 3 view drawings included!

Scott,

If you have older issues of FSM, there are numerous articles on scratchbuilding. Three come to mind: The October, 1986 issue had two scratchbuilding articles: building a 1/32 Boeing 40B-4 mail plane, and building a 1/25 scale WWI Whippet tank. The June, 1988 issue had a great article on a scratch built Sikorsky S-39B; the August issue, 1988, had an article on building a 40mm Bofors and an article about a scratchbuilder by the name of Eddie Chavez along with some remarks, by him, on some of his methods of scratchbuilding. Many methods used in kit bashing, of which the are many illustrations, are well suited to scratchbuilding. The techniques used to build POB ship hulls can be transferred to building AC fuselages, as an example.

Jim

I have Scratch Built!... it's very good, but mainly for aircraft.  Of course, these techniques can be used for any model.

http://www.amazon.ca/Scratch-Built-John-Alcorn/dp/0887404170

Tab books used to have a couple- one on airplanes, one on cars.  These were for building with wood- not the best, but some good ideas among the chaff.  Model Expo used to have a couple on scratch building sailing ships (sailing ships were about the first popular types of models).

There's the Evergreen Models book about building with styrene, but frankly I don't think you really need a book. Google Scratchbuilding in styrene and you'll get 102,000 results! Some are how-tos, both written and video. Some are just downright inspiring to look at. Personally, I find the more I look, the more my fingers get the itch to start building! You'll pick up all kinds of tips, tricks, and techniques along the way.